CANON A1100 REPAIR MANUAL

There must be either weakness in the contacts or the contacts are dirty.

https://www.google.com/search?q=Canon+Powershot+a1100+will+only+switch+on+and+stay+on+if+I+press+the+battery+cover

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if you don't have an idea in electronic repair and proper tools just for safety i suggest that you send it in the canon service center since they are trained technician as will as part to be replaced. you can not get parts in local store.

Press the DISP button 2 - 3 times & see the result.

While viewing the picture, press the DISP button repeatedly to cycle through the different views of the picture.

I have a possible solution to your problem but fixya won't let me send it to you.

Lens errors are fairly common. Usually it's sand or grit interfering with the lens extension mechanism. Or the camera's been dropped with the lens extended. Or the camera has been powered on, but the lens had been blocked preventing its extension. Or the battery ran down with the lens extended ... Here are some troubleshooting steps that you can try that may correct it. They only seem to work for less than 40% of the lens errors, but if the camera is out of warranty (or repair cost approaches that of the camera), they're worth that try. Some of the later steps do involve some risk to the camera, so carefully weigh your options before deciding to conduct them:

No point-and-shoot consumer camera is worth fixing due to user error or accident. Best bet would be to buy another one or see if you can get Canon to replace the camera. Don't tell them you dropped it and hope for the best.

Sorry! And I hope this helps.

http://www.freeservicemanual.co.cc/canon-powershot-a1100-user-manual/
canonpowershota1100.com/wp.../canon-powershot-a1100is-manual.pdf

This info is all in the user manual, so I have found one for you for later reference. Please simply download from the link above....
in any event the best way to restart is to Power OFF & then ON again, this will reset all settings and restart the software again.

Hi,

Checkout this tip about digital camera error messages


Lens Errorfix for Digital Camera

heatman101';';';
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There is no DIY fix for this problem, and attempting a fix is likely to worsen the problem and cause the camera to shut down. Sorry, but your situation calls for professional repair.